


Two Halves of a Whole

by JadeJem



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Possession, Carapace, Confusion, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hawk Moth - Freeform, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Identity Reveal, Ladybug - Freeform, Love, Love Confessions, Master Fu - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Plot, Poor kids, Rena Rouge, Requited Love, Reveal, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU, Sunshine boi, Team Miraculous, adrienette - Freeform, akumas everywhere, because, but actually some plot, chat noir - Freeform, is pretty cool, kwami - Freeform, lots of Adrienette, lots of fluff, lots of migraines, love love, miraculous magic, some confusion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-04-21 18:23:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14290707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: Marinette's not an idiot. Scratch that, Marinette's not a mean idiot. She cracks under peer pressure sometimes, especially when it has something to do with a pretty blond boy (which one, she isn't even completely sure of at this moment in time). But is it worth risking her identity to sign up and compete in the 25th Annual Yo-Yo Competition? Oh, add Alya's incessant need to hunt Ladybug down on top of the fact that Marinette's Miraculous is being a piece of work (with no real explanation from Tikki), and you've got yourself one mess of a teenage girl/superheroine.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, loves! This was a lot of fun to write, and I hope you like it, too. :D
> 
> Soooooo the main plot of this was supposed to be a yo-yo competition, but that's sort of turned into a bonus.
> 
> ...Whoops?
> 
> Alys is not a typo, btw! It's a nickname pronounced "alls."
> 
> WARNING!  
> Spoilers from Season 2 ARE included in this. Tread lightly if you hope to avoid said spoilers.
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

Really, Marinette should have known better.

She should have guessed that this was coming (as it has been for the past two years).

But, like the fool she somehow manages to be from time to time, she let Alya slip past her defenses and build her case strong.

"Ladybug's going to compete this year, I know it!" she'd said. "I just want your support on this," she'd said. "Adrien said he wanted you to participate with us," she'd said.

Really, it was that last one that had gotten her to trip over her pathetic 'probably going to be busy with helping my parents man the bakery' tidbit. At the mere mention of Adrien's 'wanting her to be there,' she'd fallen all over herself in a puddle of goo and given in.

She really needs to control her stupid feelings! This stunt could have her discovered! Really, it's a miracle that Alya hasn't  _already_  figured out her identity.

She's not sure how far she'll be able to push it before the reporter finally does discover who's under Ladybug's mask.

Will she be mad at Marinette for not telling her? Marinette's only trying to keep her safe. If it wasn't her duty to shield her identity from the world, she would tell Alya in a heartbeat.

After all, the only thing Ladybug has on Marinette is all of Paris stalking her like she's some sort of celebrity or something.

And maybe a bit more grace.

Marinette slumps, pushing the straw in her smoothie around with a pout.

Alya and Adrien bicker back and forth from beside her and across the table. Probably about Ladybug. They both seem to be eerily passionate about her.

"Ladybug is the hottest girl in all of Paris!" Alya damn-near shouts, slamming her hand on the table and shaking the glasses.

Marinette sighs when Adrien throws his hands up. "She's not 'hot.' Her beauty is too delicate and gentle for such a harsh word!"

"The girl's a babe," Nino states with a shrug, seemingly in the same boat as Marinette; not giving a single shit about the argument. "She's got a fantastic form."

It takes everything out of Marinette not to blush at the compliment. She settles for tugging her thin flannel over herself, if only to cover up a bit more.

Adrien looks positively disgusted and mortified by Nino's blunt statement.

"What?" Nino shrugs. "Don't tell me you haven't been staring at the posters of her plastered all over the city. She's like a teenage boy heartthrob."

"And girl," Alya chips in. "I would be so far into her if I wasn't dating some nobody."

Nino sags at her jab, and she responds by kissing his ear.

"Marinette," Adrien turns on her, the other two following suit, "what do you think?"

Marinette, having been counting on not being included in this conversation, tenses. "U-um..." What the hell is she supposed to say? She knows she's not  _ugly_ , but she isn't exactly supermodel material, either.

Or stuck-up enough to so heavily pat herself on the back as Alya and Adrien have been doing for the past, what, five minutes? Ten? She doesn't even know at this point.

Adrien stares at her expectantly, Alya even drumming her painted nails on the plastic booth table. Nino, being the ass he is, begins humming the Jeopardy tune, earning himself a hearty glare from Marinette.

She huffs indignantly. "I don't know! I don't spend my life obsessing over Ladybug."

Adrien and Alya scoff. "It's not an obsession," they deny simultaneously.

"Babe," Nino addresses Alya, putting an arm around her shoulder and squeezing gently. He turns to Adrien then, gesturing vaguely. "Dude." He purses his lips into an almost-smile, seeming sympathetic. "It's definitely an obsession."

"No it's not!" they shout, both equally passionate and semi-flushed.

"I just really like and look up to her," Adrien admits, cheeks pinking.

"She's pretty amazing," Alya agrees, "and hot."

Adrien groans. "No she's not! I think I would know, firsthand, how attrac—"

"Wait," Marinette cuts him off, her curiosity being the only thing driving her to enter the conversation, "how would you know firsthand, Adrien?"

The attention falls on the blond, and he shifts, seemingly uncomfortable with the question. "W-Well I—she's... saved me a couple of times...," he murmurs, gaze falling to the plastic table once more as his cheeks further darken.

"She's saved me, too," Alya counters, deep green-hazel eyes glinting. "She's  _hot_."

"She's anything but that!" Adrien moans into his hands. "Beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, but not hot! Hot is something you'd use to describe boiling water!"

"Well, then she's boiling water!" Alya fumes, her knuckles turning pale as she grips her phone tightly in her hand.

"Can we talk about something else?" Marinette queries, rubbing her temples. "Literally anything else."

"What do you have against Ladybug?" Adrien asks, green eyes snapping to her as if she's just offended him somehow.

"I'm just sick of hearing you two constantly jabber about her!" Marinette snaps, head aching with what she assumes to be the beginnings of a migraine. "How did we even get to this topic?"

"We were talking about Paris' Twenty-Fifth Annual Yo-Yo Competition," Nino pitches in helpfully, seeming just as irritated by the concept of the superheroine as Marinette is.

Alya hums. "I'm going to find her there, just you wait," she states, the warning sounding almost like a threat. "She's going to be the best one out there."

Marinette says nothing, choosing instead to rest her head in her arms. Honestly, what a ridiculous line of conversation. They never talk about how supposedly attractive Marinette is. Then again, they don't exactly know that Marinette is a kick-ass superhero with a fanbase larger than that of an American popstar.

A finger pokes her in the side, and Marinette almost sits up just to nip at the supposed finger. The mere idea of doing so makes her head pound harder, so she stays as she is, ignoring Adrien and his constant need for attention.

_Gah, sometimes he's so much like—_

"Chat Noir can't  _not_  show up if he thinks Ladybug will be there," Alya states, voice sounding more robotic than usual. Must be reading something on Twitter or a news site. "Well, I guess he'll probably try to be scouting out girls in hopes of finding Ladybug, too."

"What?" Adrien asks, sounding affronted. "He seems too honorable to try and hunt Ladybug down like that."

"I dunno," Alya says, sounding unsure. "People sometimes do desperate things in the name of love."

Adrien makes a choking sound from beside Marinette, and she almost smiles.

"There'll probably be tons of people looking for Ladybug," Nino tacks on. "That is, unless she's too smart to even consider competing." Marinette grimaces. "If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she's set on keeping her identity a secret."

"Well, duh," Marinette says to the floor. "Throwing her identity out there for everyone to see and know is like lining her friends and family up on the chopping board; she's clearly making the right choice in not telling anyone about her double life."

"We don't know for sure if she hasn't told anyone," Alya reasons. "The only person that knows her well enough to say for sure is Chat, but... not even he knows her identity. Said so in a more recent interview. You actually might be right, Marinette, but there's still that chance that she's told her boyfriend or mom or someone else important in her life."

Adrien begins coughing violently, and Marinette frowns in worry and turns her head to the side to look at him.

"Whoa, dude," Nino says, standing up and coming around to pat Adrien on the back, "are you okay?"

"F-fine," Adrien sputters in-between hacks, eyes watering and cheeks red.

"You sure?" Alya queries from across from Marinette, sounding just as concerned.

"Yeah," Adrien breathes, taking a deep breath and smiling weakly at Marinette when she reaches out and places her hand on his arm. "Went down the wrong pipe."

"I couldn't tell." Nino chuckles, stepping out of Marinette's line of view.

"I think you have your facts wrong, Alya," Adrien states after a beat of silence. "There's no way that Ladybug has a boyfriend."

Marinette groans and lets her hand fall from his arm. She tucks it back in place and envelops herself in darkness once more.

"She might," Alya argues. "After all, she shuts down Chat's advances on the daily."

"Must suck," Nino sighs, sounding too tired to be irritated. "Being so in love with someone just to be shut down every time you try to confess your feelings."

Marinette grimaces again. Honestly, after finding out about how Chat really feels about her from the cat himself, she'd been in a slight state of shock. This whole time, she's convinced herself that his advances are merely for play, or that he puts on an entertaining show for the cameras, or even that he's like this with every girl.

She'd never even considered that it's all been real for him prior to his confession to Marinette.

She'd never considered that Chat Noir has been in  _love_  with her since God-knows-when.

Marinette shudders.

The heat pooling into her cheeks is what causes her to lift her head up and rest her chin on her arm. The lighting of the 60's themed diner is harsh on her tired eyes, and she hisses and cringes away from the brightness.

"Are you okay?" Adrien queries, placing a hand on her shoulder and drawing her fleeting attention his way.

"Fine. My head just really hurts," Marinette replies, making a mental note to take something when she gets home. Sleep actually sounds really nice right about now. "I think I should go home. Migraine might be coming on."

Alya frowns at her from across the table. "You've been getting a lot of those lately. Have you gone to the doctor's about it yet?"

"It's just a migraine, Alys." Marinette waves her off. "I don't need a doctor."

Alya looks at her uncertainly.

"I'll walk you home, 'Nette," Nino offers, scooting off of the red cushion chair and stretching.

"You don't have to," Marinette denies, already beginning to shuffle closer to the edge of her seat.

"Yeah, I can," Adrien volunteers. "She lives closer to me."

"But her house is on the way to mine," Nino points out, raising an eyebrow. "Yours is in the opposite direction."

Adrien doesn't say anything in response, and Marinette takes this as her cue to stand. "Thanks, Nino," she says softly, head fuzzy with heat as the world around her becomes more shadowed by the second.

"Whoa," Nino drawls, steadying Marinette when she fumbles. "You sure you can make it?"

"Seriously, Mari," Adrien cuts in, standing from his own chair with a scowl. "The car's only a phone call away. Can you honestly walk home?"

Marinette doesn't know. It feels like a series of hammers are gangbanging her brain. Repeatedly. The room around her spins as the needles jab at the top of her head, and she's positive she'd topple over if Nino wasn't supporting a majority of her weight.

Her mouth feels dry when she opens it to respond, so she licks her lips. "I'm fine."

Apparently, her delayed response isn't enough to convince Adrien. He pulls out his phone and taps on his screen a few times before lifting it to his ear, turning away and speaking in a hushed yet urgent tone to the recipient.

Alya hurriedly gets to her feet and rushes to Marinette's other side. "Seriously, girl. These constant migraines aren't healthy."

Marinette blinks slowly, head pounding. She lifts her hand up and clutches the left side of her head, if only to try and make the pain go away. Nino continues supporting her weight, and Adrien is back soon with a worn look adorning his expression.

"C'mon," he encourages tiredly, sweeping his arm under her own as Alya reluctantly steps away.

Marinette, who would usually object or even jump away, can't find the energy within herself to do so. She simply lets Nino drop her weight onto Adrien's shoulder.

And really, Marinette is no faker! If she wanted to be close to Adrien, she'd find a way to do so without having to lie her way through it or fake a migraine.

Her gaze finds Adrien's. Though her head feels heavy on her own neck, she stares up at him. And, for a moment, his hair sweeps into his eyes, so fiercely reminding her of someone just as she finds everything getting lost around her.

***   *   ***

"...hasn't responded. Yeah... No, I'm not going to leave her here alone! Alya... I-It's not like that. Yeah... I'm not sure if she'll be able to join us tomorrow, but maybe it'll—mhm."

Marinette groans softly, stretching her limbs before snuggling closer to her body pillow.

Wait.

_I don't have a body pillow..._

With a squeak, the bluenette jumps away from the source of heat she's had her leg thrown over: Adrien.

He smiles politely, still speaking into the phone as he waves at her. "She just woke up."

'Sorry,' Marinette mouths, cheeks heating in embarrassment.

Adrien waves her off before pointing at his head, seemingly asking how hers is. Marinette frowns and pooches her lips, thinking for a moment. The throbbing is still there, but it's a lot duller than it originally had been earlier.

Marinette gives Adrien a thumbs-up anyway, managing a smile and tapping the top of her wrist with her finger.

"I'll be leaving as soon as she kicks me out," Adrien says, momentarily pulling the phone from his ear to check the time. He flashes eight fingers at her. "The bakery was empty when I got here. Was only going to drop—Alya, we've been over this." He sighs, running a hand through his hair, looking flushed and a bit sheepish.

Marinette tunes out, choosing instead to swing her legs over the side of the living room couch and stand up. She wobbles slightly, offering Adrien a nervous grin when he sends a pointed look her way.

"I'm going to find something to eat," Marinette whispers loudly, jabbing a thumb at the kitchen. "Want anything?"

Adrien pauses in his line of conversation with Alya before nodding reluctantly. Marinette cracks a smile and makes her way towards the fridge.

She rummages around for a good minute, everything looking too gross to eat. Finally, she closes the fridge with a sigh and moves on to the pantry. She grabs the first thing she sees: a roll of bagels.

With a shrug, she pops a couple out and drops them into the toaster.

Adrien approaches her from behind, and she turns to meet him as he holds the phone out to her. Alya's contact flashes across the screen before going black again. Marinette takes the smartphone and presses it against her ear.

"Hello?"

_"Hey, Mari. How're you doing?"_

Marinette smiles at Alya's familiar voice, relaxing against the counter. "I'm doing okay. Adrien's been nice enough to stay with me while my parents are out for the night."

_"Where are they?"_

"Some convention of some sort for store owners about an hour outside of the city. They should be back by tomorrow night."

_"Oh."_

There's a pause.

_"Do you feel well enough to come and compete in the competition tomorrow?"_

Marinette cringes, having been dreading this question. "Uh..." For a moment, she considers lying her way out of it. Just because she'd agreed to sign up, doesn't mean she has to do it. Her excuse is perfect! No risk, no reward—for Alya, that is.

But doesn't Marinette lie enough as it is? Doesn't she deceive her friends and family enough as things are presently? Sure, it's for their own safety, but it still takes its toll.

She could always just lose in the first round.

"I'm feeling a lot better, actually. My head only hurts a little. It'll probably be gone by morning; I probably just need to hydrate."

The toaster dings behind her, and Marinette spins on her toes and lays out a paper towel.

_"Awesome! I'm so happy you're feeling better. You didn't look too good the last time I saw you."_

Marinette's face screws up. "Thanks."

Alya laughs on the other line.

_"I'm serious! We were really worried about you. I don't know if you remember Adrien and Nino's reaction..."_

Marinette presses the phone between her ear and shoulder as she opens the fridge door and pulls out a container of cream cheese. "Hmm... It's all a little fuzzy. I remember seeing a bunch of shadows, though."

_"Yeah, because that's totally normal and healthy."_

Marinette winces. "I don't know what's going on with me any more than you do. I just want it to stop; I hate worrying you all the time."

Adrien taps her shoulder, a glass of water in his hand. Marinette's heart swells with affection, and she smiles genuinely at him and sets the glass on the counter.

_"Don't worry about worrying me, girl. Worry about yourself! I think you should go see a doctor about this."_

Marinette rolls her eyes and picks up a butter knife, scooping some of the cream cheese onto it and spreading it on the toasted bagels. "We've been over this, Alya. People get migraines all the time. It's totally normal."

_"I didn't know that most people passed out from migraines every other day. I must be a special case. As must the rest of Paris."_

"Shut up. You know what I mean. In any case, I'm not going to see a doctor." What if it's Miraculous-related? She can't ask a doctor about that. Perhaps Tikki might know more about her recurring migraines...

With a satisfied hum, Marinette hands one of the bagels to Adrien, who takes it with something akin to raw delight.

_"Whatever, girl. I still think it's a good idea. I've got to go. Say bye to Adrien for me."_

And with that, she hangs up, leaving Marinette pulling the screen away and blinking at it. She shakes her head a moment later, handing Adrien his phone.

He gives her a sympathetic smile and pockets his phone. "She's really worried about you."

Marinette sighs, leaning back against the counter. "She shouldn't be. I'm fine."

He eyes her carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Marinette snaps, pushing herself off of the counter and sidestepping him. "There's nothing I can do, anyway. It's probably related to my Mir—" aculous.

Adrien turns to stare at her when Marinette tosses her bagel at the counter. "Related to your... what?"

Marinette licks her lips, not daring to look at him. She chooses her next words carefully. "Aren't all head-related things out of our control?"

Adrien looks at her, his gaze burning into the side of her head. "That's... not what I asked."

"Well," Marinette says, choosing now to take a bite of her bagel and chew it slowly, "if shu fwind a showution fwor migwainesh, lemme know."

Her response seems to distract Adrien from the main focus of the conversation because he dissolves into amused chuckles.

His phone buzzes loudly, and he pulls it out, his smile dropping off of his face. He looks at her apologetically. "I've got to go soon. Father's sending Gorilla to come pick me up. Will you be okay by yourself?"

Marinette takes a sip of the glass of water Adrien had filled for her and rolls her eyes before swallowing. "I'll be fine, worry-wart. I'm not going to pass out again."

Adrien looks unconvinced.

"I swear!" Marinette laughs. "I'm just going to eat my bagel and drink my water," she states, motioning to both of the mentioned items.

"Alright," Adrien relents, finally allowing himself to take a bite of the warm bagel. "Oh ma Gooooohd," he moans, hurriedly shoving another bite into his already stuffed mouth. "Thish ish amaaaaashing."

Marinette giggles and pokes him in the side as she walks past him to throw her napkin away. Adrien jumps away from her touch, making a muffled sound of protest sounding almost like "Mari!"

She giggles again before taking his napkin. "You're welcome."

Adrien smiles at her with his mouth full, and Marinette laughs and cringes away. "Eww! Adrien! Perfect Model Boy? I think not."

Adrien snorts and continues chewing. "Nefur claimed I wash." His eyes suddenly light up, and he finally swallows the food in his mouth. "Hey, that was a cat pun!"

Marinette winces. "Ugh, don't even with me. I've heard enough of those to last me a lifetime." She tosses the napkins and chugs some of the water in her glass.

Adrien smiles crookedly, and she nearly chokes. "You don't like puns?"

"I don't hate them," Marinette admits, rolling her eyes and smiling when her ridiculous partner comes to mind, "but a good friend of mine drops them on the daily."

He stares at her, his smile still a bit crooked, but more thoughtful now. "...Any puns? Or just cat puns...?"

Marinette simply shrugs with a small laugh. "Dunno. Honestly, I've just learned to tune him out by now."

Adrien's face screws up, and Marinette laughs again.

There's a small buzz, and Adrien's smile morphs into a slight grimace. "That's my cue. You sure you're good?"

"Fine, fine," Marinette insists, turning him around and pushing him towards the front door. She notices (with no small amount of awe) the way his back and shoulder muscles contract under her as he flails his arms dramatically.

"How are you so strong?" Adrien queries honestly, raw curiosity painting his voice.

"Uh, I live above a bakery, remember? Carrying around heavy boxes is a daily thing for me." She stops pushing him to flex cheekily. "I can beat my Papa at arm wrestling."

Adrien's eyes pop. "What?! His arms are as thick as hams, though!"

Marinette smirks and shrugs coyly. "Yeah, I guess you could say I'm pretty strong. Could probably even beat  _you_  at arm wrestling." She peers at him for a reaction.

He snorts before flexing himself (and oh heaven and Lord Almighty). "Please, Princess. I'd take you down no problem." He cracks an eye open at sticks his tongue out, the look so ridiculous, Marinette barely registers the nickname in favor of laughing and opening the door. 

"Shoo shoo, pesky cat. I don't need this right now. I'm in terrible pain, remember?"

Adrien slaps a hand to his forehead. "Oh, how could I pawssibly furget?"

"You're insufferable."

"Ah, c'mon. You love my puns. In fact, you love when I talk in general; my puns are just an added bonus."

"Hardly! It's difficult enough to shut you up as it is without them!"

"I could think of a way you could get me to shut me up." He winks, and Marinette rolls her eyes in time with the music of their regular routine.

His phone buzzes again, and Marinette begins pushing him out the door. "Good riddance!"

"I'm wounded, My Lady!"

"Aren't we all." And with a final wink and playful smile, Marinette slams the door in his face. That'll teach that pesky alley cat.

With a satisfied huff, she marches up the stairs to her bedroom. She can feel Tikki's gaze on her as she moves about the room, cleaning up her workspace, so she can resume making changes to her latest design.

She turns to her Kwami. "What?"

Tikki stares.   
  
Marinette straightens from her position, eyebrows furrowing.

_"What?"_

Tikki opens her mouth before snapping it shut. She does so for the next minute (the longest minute of Marinette's life) before finally commenting, "You seemed flirtier than usual with him."

Marinette snorts, slouching before turning back to her task. "Chat? Please. It's called banter, Tikki."

"That wasn't Chat, Marinette."

Marinette pauses.

"And... you're not currently Ladybug."

She blinks slowly. "Not... Chat?"

"No," Tikki says, timidly floating into Marinette's line of sight.

"I'm not..." Marinette looks down at herself, feeling as if her brain is being dragged through sludge. "I'm not Ladybug right now."

Tikki nods solemnly.

"And that wasn't Chat?"

The Kwami shakes her head.

Marinette frowns. "Are you sure?"

"That was Adrien, Marinette."

"But..." Marinette suddenly feels dread creeping in and tightening her chest. Terror settles over her. "He called me his Lady."

"That he did."

"But..." Marinette clings onto whatever's left of her ignorance, desperate to avoid the suddenly looming storm clouds gathering over her head. "That can't have been Adrien."

Tikki looks almost apologetic when Marinette searches her eyes.

The pulsing in Marinette's head suddenly increases two-fold, and she cries out in pain and grips her skull. She barely registers Tikki's shout as her vision goes completely black, and she loses consciousness.

***   *   ***

Adrien stares at the ceiling.

This... this is not how he'd imagined revealing himself. How stupid could he have been? Then again, he hadn't really been thinking. He'd just fallen into their usual comfortable banter.

He hadn't even realized when the connection between their identities had met.

Adrien rolls over and groans into his pillow because, holy shit, how is he this stupid? It's so obvious! They look exactly alike (Adrien's been chalking it up as mere coincidence for too long a time now), and they even have similar personalities.

He turns and faces the wall.

Well, when Marinette is being more comfortable with him, anyway.

Honestly, though? He's not really all that shocked. Of course Ladybug just so happens to be the bright, witty, righteous, beautiful girl he's been labeling a friend; telling himself that she's a friend has been easier than trying to face the music and admit to his feelings for her.

 _Well,_  Adrien decides, _I guess I do have a type._

He doesn't even want to know how Marinette's dealing with this revelation. Life on earth be damned if she hasn't made this connection as well.

"Try not to look so down in the dumps, boy scout. You're ruining my appetite."

Adrien sticks up his middle finger.

Plagg chuckles. "Someone's in a mood."

"Did you know?" Adrien asks, ignoring Plagg's blatant rudeness.

"Of course I knew," Plagg scoffs. "It's hella obvious."

Adrien mutters a couple of profanities and chucks his pillow at the Kwami, who dodges it in stride.

"Watch the tail, Sunshine," Plagg snaps, clearly not empathetic towards Adrien's mid-teenage crisis in the slightest.

Adrien only scowls in response.

Oh God, how is he supposed to act around her now?

Will being Chat-like be too weird? Will he have to hold himself back a bit? Should he give her space? Should he never talk to her again? Is she going to hate him now?

 _No,_  Adrien thinks, sighing and rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling again,  _Marinette's my friend._

And he also might like her.

A lot.

Like, too much.

Ignoring his possibly flawed logic and situation, Adrien scrubs his eyes and sits up, mumbling something to his Kwami about taking a shower. Maybe the steam will offer him solutions for his problems.

It's the model in him.

And just as he's turning the shower on, it hits him.

Adrien cries out in pain as his head begins pounding furiously. He whirls, convinced that someone must have hit him over the head with a sledgehammer. When he finds no culprit, he simply slides to the floor and grips his head.

"Kid?" Plagg's voice calls, coming closer as he speaks. "Everything alright?"

Adrien grunts in response, tears stinging his eyes as the horrible pain only increases. He screws his eyes shut, hoping that maybe, just maybe, it'll get better if he blinds himself from the light of the bathroom.

"Kid, listen," Plagg's voice says urgently, now hovering just over Adrien and sounding very anxious, "this is a side effect of the energy you've been expending. All magic has a price, and if the Miraculous is overused, it'll demand something. There have been more attacks than usual, and you've been operating on borrowed energy."

Adrien can barely register Plagg's tone. Somehow, he's able to decipher what his Kwami is saying and grounds out, "Is this what's happening to Marinette, too?"

"Yes," Plagg confirms. "The only thing you can do to help make this go away is if you spend more time together. You both are two halves of a whole; together, you are completed and strong. Apart, you are weak and more at risk for having to deal with the consequences the magic demands. With you two in close contact, the energy will generate faster, and you can pay back the debt you've gotten yourselves into. Without the barrier of your identities, you two disgusting lovebirds should have no problem regenerating the energy and chemistry needed to stop the side effects."

Adrien nods, his mind going fuzzy and warm. "That's why Marinette woke up feeling better. We were physically close for a long period of time."

"You might need to find a solution that'll allow you two to spend more time together."

"I have to get to her," Adrien states numbly, not even sure which part of his head hurts more.

**"Plagg, claws out."**

If there are complaints from the Kwami, Adrien doesn't catch them. His transformation swells around his body, and almost immediately, the pain in his head stops.

'Borrowed energy' repeats over and over in the recesses of his mind. Has he really exhausted his body so thoroughly, that if he were to not have a Miraculous, he'd barely be able to function?

And what price, exactly, is being extracted from himself and Marinette? What is the Miraculous taking in return for the energy it's loaning out?

Chat Noir shakes the thought off and pushes one of the windows open.

_I have to get to her._

The whole 'two halves make a whole' thing actually makes sense. Together, more energy and friction is generated (Adrien's heart leaps at the prospect), and this energy is probably what the Miraculous will feed off of in return for its own.

So... basically, Adrien needs to spend almost every waking minute with Marinette until the energy they've borrowed is paid off.

Adrien finds himself not minding in the slightest.

He lands on the familiar balcony with a small thump, taking in the strewn lights and potted plants with a small smile. Ah, Marinette.

He crouches down to the trapdoor and knocks.

When he receives no answer, he frowns.

_The light is on; she's in there._

He knocks again, but still no response.

Politeness be damned, he grabs the handle on the trapdoor and pulls it up effortlessly. Pink grazes his eyes as he peers into her room.

That's when he sees her.

She's huddled on the floor, chest heaving and head between her knees. She's also shaking, and Tikki is flitting around her figure worriedly.

Upon Chat's entrance, Tikki looks up and sighs in relief. "What are you waiting for?" she asks hurriedly, motioning him over. "Get over here! And de-transform; you're hurting her!"

"Oh!" Chat jumps in horror and quickly de-transforms. "I-I had no idea." He winces when the throbbing returns to his head, though the pain is nowhere near as bad as it was prior to his transformation.

Does this mean that, when he transformed, he put cost of the energy from the Miraculous on Marinette to fix his own physical and mental exhaustion?

Tikki zips up to him and grabs his pointer finger. "Come on, come on!"

The Kwmai yanks Adrien into Marinette's room, and he faceplants on her pink comforter (which he definitely does not breathe in). He stumbles down the stairs leading up to her bed as Tikki continues yanking on his finger.

Marinette barely registers his presence as he awkwardly sits next to her on the floor.

 _"Touch her!"_  Tikki shouts, exasperation lacing her worried voice.

Adrien jumps for the second time in thirty seconds and hesitantly wraps his arms around Marinette from behind, pulling her into his lap and looping his arms around her center.

She relaxes almost instantly, sighing in obvious relief as she leans into his warmth.

The dull throbbing in Adrien's head dissipates almost instantly, allowing him to notice the rapid beating of his heart. His chest aches with longing as he holds her, the sensation sending the butterflies residing in his stomach askew.

Marinette's breathing levels out. "Chat?"

Adrien chuckles softly. "Yes and no."

"...Adrien?"

In response, he nuzzles her neck, her warmth setting his skin aflame. "Would you rather lay on your chaise?"

She hums thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if it's big enough for the both of us. My bed would be fine."

Heat rushes through every nook and cranny of Adrien's body, and he shudders. "Yeah, sure," he croaks, moving one of his arms to rest beneath her knees and standing to his feet. He holds her bridal style, and she wraps her arms around his neck, sagging in exhaustion.

He carries her up the stairs before gently getting to his knees. Almost as if on cue, the lights flip off; the doing of one of the Kwami, Adrien assumes.

He kicks his shoes off, still being in his everyday clothes and not even caring. Marinette's tired gaze is heavy on the side of his head as he pulls his white flannel off and hangs it over the side of her bed.

With a final sigh, he turns to see her big, cerulean-blue eyes blink sleepily at him, her hands on either side of her head, and her twin-tails askew.

Adrien almost chokes on his pulse.

He swallows thickly before tucking his legs under the covers. They stare at one another for a moment, both heads rested on two separate pillows.

Marinette moves impishly, scooting closer until her head is on the very tip of the pillow his is on. He has to refrain from reaching up and grasping his heart because, oh dear lord, is it beating fast. His stomach swoops when their noses touch, and he swallows again before timidly placing a hand on her hip.

She shivers, and he slides his other hand under her cheek on the pillow, his thumb brushing her soft skin. His thumb trails down to her lower lip, and he skims it gently, breath hitching dangerously.

Who had suggested this idea again?

Really, it's not safe for him to be in such close quarters with this girl in either form.

The animal-like ferocity that swells within him almost overpowers his chivalrous ways.

Almost.

Instead of capturing this poor, fatigued, probably-not-in-her-right-mind-at-the-moment girl in a hungry kiss, he leans forehead and presses his lips to her forehead.

His hand moves back up to cup her cheek as he pulls away. Marinette's eyelashes flutter open, and her hand creeps up his arm until it's resting on his exposed cheek. She smiles gently before removing her hand and pressing the tips of her fingers to her lips. Adrien watches with wide eyes as she stretches her fingers towards him again and softly presses them to his lips.

Cardiac arrest would be less strenuous on his heart.

Heat blossoms across her cheeks, and she hurriedly pulls away, probably able to see his dark blush in the faint moonlight streaming in through her window.

He takes the hand resting on her hip and uses it to grab the hand she has curled against her chest. With a small, crooked smile, he presses it against his chest, where his heart is.

She gives a little "oh" before glancing back up at him, her blush darkening.

Adrien hums and brushes his thumb over her cheek again. "Good night, Princess."

Her lips part, and it takes everything Adrien has not to just close the gap between them.

"Good night, Kitty."

***   *   ***

Alya paces outside of the closed bakery, checking her phone every five seconds. She turns towards the festival every time a crowd cheers or the marching band begins playing. She groans and finally stops.

With a huff, she unlocks her phone and opens her chat window with Marinette, which is now filled with texts from the reporter herself.

**Alya; 8:47 AM**

I'm here

I brought you breakfast

**Alya; 8:49 AM**

Hurry uuuuuup

Did you forget to set your alarm?

**Alya; 8:53 AM**

So help me, Dupain-Cheng. If you forgot to set your alarm...

**Alya; 8:54 AM**

Wake up

Wake up

Wake up

Wake up

Marinette oh my god

**Alya; 8:57 AM**

Check in is at 9:30! We need to leave!!

**Alya; 8:58 AM**

Shit, why is your front door locked?

**Alya; 9:00 AM**

I will result to window smashing

**oblivious blueberry; 9:00 AM**

_Alya! I'm so sorry! I didn't hear my alarm!_

_Let me get dressed real quick._

Alya rolls her eyes, a smile breaching her lips. How absolutely typical of her best friend.

"Alya!"

Aforementioned girl turns to see Adrien waving at her, a broad smile lighting up his face.

Alya waves back, cocking a hip and folding her arms over her chest. "Hey, Agreste," she greets as he approaches her, eyebrows raising.

His face is completely aglow in the morning sunlight, but there's something even more... radiant about him than usual. Like his whole form is light as a feather, and at any moment, he'll sprout wings and join the angels in the sky.

Alya cocks her head.

She now sees why Marinette has referred to Adrien as Apollo.

"What?" Adrien asks, the grin refusing to slip off of his face.

Alya blinks. "Are you a Greek God?"

Adrien's face screws up. "What?"

The front door of the boulangerie bursts open, and Marinette comes stumbling onto the sidewalk, her twin-tails loose and messy.

Alya's mouth falls open.

Marinette practically shimmers in the light, cerulean-blue eyes popping and dark hair shining. Her skin is porcelain and smooth, and she, too, looks like she's descended from the heavens.

Alya glances at Adrien only to see the single most lovesick expression she has ever seen in her life adorning his expression.

She snorts in disgust at their obliviousness.

"You feeling better, Mare?" Alya asks, if only to make the two stop staring at one another.

_'Just a friend' my ass, Agreste._

Marinette finally yanks her attention from Adrien and nods slowly, seeming dazed. "Yeah. Much better." Her gaze darts towards Adrien for a split second before dancing away again.

Adrien pinkens.

"Okay," Alya snaps, crossing her arms over her chest and looking between the two with her 'no nonsense' face on, "did I miss something here?" She motions between the two of them with her pointer finger, cocking an eyebrow and effectively embarrassing the both of them.

"No! What? Nothing missed here!"

"N-never! Missed nothing you! I-I mean—!"

Alya holds her hand up with a slight cringe, cracking an eye open when the two simultaneously stop fumbling and share a 'deer caught in headlights' look. She watches them as they seem to communicate telepathically... which makes absolutely no sense because Marinette and Adrien have never been close enough to do as much. 

"The reporter in me wants to grill you guys, but the competitor in me wants to get over to the competition." She eyes them with raised brows. "We're not done here."

She turns before she receives an answer, confident the two will eventually trail after her.

Her fingers itch for her phone.  _It's a no phone day,_  she reminds herself, balling her hand into a fist. _Ladybug is not coming to be recorded and discovered._

Honestly, Alya isn't hunting for Ladybug to turn her identity into a big-time story (though the publicity would be fantastic for her career in journalism). It's more to quench her own curiosity.

Besides, it's not like she knows Ladybug's civilian identity. The chances of that are literally one in a million.

Alya cranes her neck to look over her shoulder.

Adrien and Marinette are huddled together, talking in hushed whispers as their fingertips idly brush.

The intense eye-roll Alya suppresses in place of a smug smile has Marinette catching her gaze and jumping away from Adrien. He startles and glances at Alya as well before leaping a foot away from Marinette.

"You two are ridiculous!" Alya practically implores, clapping wondrously before spinning on her heel again.

The sound of the marching band is nearly deafening, but Alya sticks it out and practically skips up to check-in. Once she's stamped, she steps through the main entrance full of rowdy onlookers.

Tall poles and canopies tower overhead in hues of yellow and red, vaguely reminding Alya of a seasonal carnival. A banner reading "25th Annual Yo-Yo Competition" is strewn far above Alya's head, and she follows the stoned pavement colored red to the two pathway split.

Only when Marinette and Adrien step up on either side of her does Alya eagerly march through the 'competitor' entrance. The other one, labeled 'audience,' seems to lead up to a stadium of sorts surrounding the whole section the competitors will be going head-to-head in.

_Man, a lot of work went into something as minor as a yo-yo competition._

The long stretch comes to an abrupt halt (props to the giant standing in their way). 'Marq' (or that's what his name tag says, checks their stamps.

"Go to the ring that matches the color of your stamp," he issues, waving them through with firm pats on the back.

"He probably couldn't smile to save his life," Alya mutters to Marinette, who chuckles and looks down at her blue stamp. "You're lucky you don't have to compete against me," Alya jokes. "I'd wipe the floor with you."

Marinette scoffs, poking at Alya's red stamp. "Please. I would demolish you."

"Since when? The last time you picked up a yo-yo, you hit yourself in the face with it."

Marinette cringes. "Well, I've had a bit of practice now." Her gaze suddenly snaps to Adrien, who chuckles in amusement.

Alya frowns. Is there some sort of inside joke she's missing here?

"Whatever you say, 'Nette." She suddenly smiles at Adrien and Marinette. "Good luck, you two." And with that, she's turning and walking out into the light.

The stadium-like setting is chock-full of people, all of whom are chattering rather loudly and animatedly. Alya gapes at the setting with wide eyes. Flagpoles bearing gigantic colored flags stand mighty and tall far overhead. Rings lined in colored linen are scattered across the open space, and Alya slowly gravitates towards the section drenched in red silk.

A burly man holding a clipboard stops her and asks for her name.

"Alya Césaire," she states proudly, quickly pulling her phone out. "I can livestream something real quick, right?"

The man nods gruffly. "You're in ring number three."

The esteemed Ladyblogger beams and clicks onto her Ladyblog app. She grins and presses the  _Live_  button. Immediately, dings resonate around the stadium. Phones are pulled out, and Alya winks at the camera.

"Hey, Ladybloggers! Alya here at the Twenty-Fifth Annual Yo-Yo Competition!"

Cheers and cries of excitement resonate around the gigantic space, many people looking up and around to find the Ladyblogger herself.

"Are you guys excited?!" she asks loudly, her voice echoing on the phones across the stadium.

The mass of people roar enthusiastically, many of them having finally spotted Alya stepping into red ring number three. She pulls the camera away from herself and waves before turning the phone screen towards the thousands of people watching her. They all scream and wave frantically as her phone camera traces the room.

Finally, she turns the screen towards herself again. "I'm so excited to be here competing! And, who knows, maybe Ladybug will come out to play."

Another ecstatic roar.

"Honestly, I'm surprised more of you didn't want to participate!" Alya comments, pointing at the camera. "I'm sure you're all well-versed in the art of the yo-yo thanks to Paris' finest super-heroine!"

The comment section at the bottom of her screen blows up, and the number of viewers steadily climbs with every second.

"Whatever your reason is for not competing, wish me and my friends luck!" She turns the phone screen towards Marinette, who's eyeing her yo-yo with an odd sort of an excitement while balancing her phone in the other hand. She startles and looks up at Alya before waving nervously at the screen with a large smile.

Scattered laughs echo around the tent, and Marinette blushes before laughing with them. Alya then flips the camera to Adrien, who's laughing at his phone. He then looks up and gives one of his signature model smiles accompanied by a small, friendly wave.

Half of the stadium sighs.

The phone screen is then back on Alya, and she bites her lip when the livestream hits 1M. "One million of you are here with me now! I'm so happy you can join me in these moments before the competition starts. Shoutout to my boyfriend Nino, who's somewhere in there!" she laughs, motioning vaguely at the thousands of people crowding the stands. "And don't forget my main girl Marinette, and her"—Alya feigns a cough—"boyfriend, Adrien!"

With a loud cackle, Alya flips the camera on Marinette, who looks like she's been doused in red paint before she glances away from the camera and at Adrien (whom Alya turns the camera towards). He winks at Marinette, and 'aww's reverberate through the crowd.

"Paris' next heart-throb couple? Guess we'll find out soon," Alya teases, putting the attention back on herself. "Looks like we'll be starting here shortly, so stay tuned on TV or elsewhere. Keep your eyes peeled for the bug! Alya, out!" With a final adoring wave to her massive following, Alya stops the livestream.

Just as the chattering is starting to get loud again, a throat clears itself over a microphone.

What sounds to be something close to jazz music trickles through the speakers, and the lights in the thick tent suddenly dim. A single spotlight clicks on, revealing a man in the middle of all of the rings. He is dressed in eccentric red and black, his tan complexion shining under the complimentary lighting.

He flicks a curly strand of hair out of his eyes, choosing to tuck it under the golden rim of his top hat, and it strikes Alya how astoundingly good-looking he is when he cracks a smug smile.

The moment he starts singing, Alya recognizes the song.

**{A/N: "Willkommen" from Cabaret is the song. :)"}**

"Willkommen and bienvenue. Welcome." His voice is a startlingly delicious drawl like honey. He tugs on the collar of his deep scarlet tux. "Fremder, étranger, stranger."

Alya finds herself entranced. He seems much too good-looking to be real as he casually begins what seems to be an opening number.

_Who the hell is sponsoring the competition this year?_

He leans on a dark wood cane with gold trim. "Glücklich zu sehen; je suis enchante. Happy to see you!" He holds his hands up in the hair, his golden eyes catching in the light as he addresses the crowd.

Whistles and quiet cheers respond to him, and he seems to thrive under the attention. With a rather white grin, he continues. "Bleibe, reste, stay. Willkommen! And bienvenue! Welcome!" He dips in the opposite direction, tipping his hat. "I'm cabaret, au cabaret, to cabaret!"

Alya's mouth falls open in wonderment, and she glances at her best friend. The bluenette is equally as entranced as she watches this man (19, maybe? 18?) sing.

"Meine damen und herren. Mesdames et messieurs! Ladies and gentlemen! Guten abend! Bon soir! Good evening!" He spontaneously hops up into one of the rings—Marinette's ring, as luck might have it.

Alya chuckles.  _Of course it's Marinette's ring._

He bows before Marinette and gently takes her hand with his own gloved one, placing a chaste kiss to her knuckles. "Wie geht's? Comment sa va? Do you feel good?" He winks before gliding away from her. "Ich bin eur confrencier!" he addresses the crowd. "Je suis votre compère."

Alya only briefly glances at Marinette to gauge her reaction at such attention. Marinette stands there, stiff as a board and in red in the face. Her eyes are still comically wide as she blinks furiously.

With a smirk, Alya looks in Adrien's direction. She cackles into her hand.

_If looks could kill..._

The man throws his arms into the air. "I am your host!" French horns follow his announcement.

The crowd cheers and whistles louder than before.

"Und sage! Willkommen! And bienvenue! Welcome! I'm cabaret... au cabaret, to cabaret!" he belts, holding the long note until the instrumental music grandly cuts off. He grins and bows before the screaming people of Paris. "Merci! Thank you! So you happy you all could make it!" He waits until the crowd has further calmed before speaking again. "My name is Liam, and it is my voice you will be hearing throughout the day!"

"And I do not mind at all," Alya admits quietly, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. Marinette and Adrien are having eye-sex again when she glances over, and she can't help the small bark of laughter that escapes her mouth.

Maybe they've been secretly dating behind her back or something. They seem like two magnets of opposite attractions; they can't stand not being physically close.

She idly wonders if Nino and herself will ever have such a strong connection. Even if Adrien and Marinette haven't sealed the deal with a kiss, there's so much... chemistry between them. It's palpable. Has been for a while now.

"Thank you for coming to the Twenty-Fifth Annual Yo-Yo Competition! This year, we are sponsored by Gabriel Agreste, famous and well-known for his gigantic company in the fashion industry."

A spotlight suddenly shines down on a man in a slick gray suit sitting on a small balcony about 20 feet off the ground and across the monstrous tent. He stands, expression schooled, and waves respectfully.

Polite claps echo in response, and Gabriel Agreste takes his fancy-looking seat.

"Now, this is where it gets slightly more hectic," Liam states, taking a few steps closer the edge of Marinette's ring. "Each colored ring will have competing intervals. They will go in this order: yellow, red, green, and blue. Other competitors are welcome to watch the rings go at it, but they may not interfere.

"Elimination is by choice of the three judges, who are trained in the, uh, yo-yo field. They can and will hit the large red buzzard on the post of your ring if you are doing anything worth disqualification or elimination," Liam explains, pacing slowly as he does. A grin overcomes his expression. "Are you ready?"

The deafening roar is answer enough, and Liam produces what looks like a mini confetti cannon from his suit pocket.

"Then let the games begin!" he shouts enthusiastically, pointing the gun skywards and pulling the trigger. Tons of multi-colored pieces of paper litter the air, and the crowd responds with shrieks of encouragement.

Alya sends a grin Marinette's way.

_I'm ready._

***   *   ***

Adrien shifts nervously as he watches the yellow section go at it. He's never been good with a yo-yo, but Ladybug has taught him a few complex tricks.

 _Marinette,_  he reminds himself, glancing down at the bluenette's profile. He's unable to fight the smile threatening to split his lips as he watches her cringe at all of these supposed 'professionals.'

He bends over until his mouth is level with her ear and whispers, "No one can hold a candle to you, M'Lady."

"How utterly traumatizing for them," she tuts, a small smile tugging at her lips. "See anyone that looks like Ladybug, Detective Noir?"

Adrien's smirk widens. "Detective? Kinky. And I'm quite sure that Ladybug would wipe the floor with everyone in the vicinity."

Marinette cranes her neck and sends him a look so mischievous, it makes Adrien's insides curl as his heart hammers a bit harder. He shudders under her heavy gaze, deliciously tempted to—

His thoughts fly slightly south. Can you blame him? He's a hormonal teenage boy with the love of his life looking at him like he's a snack.

Finally, she severs their eye-contact with a satisfied grin before turning back towards the excitement.

Adrien stews in his hormones for a few moments more before letting them go with an inner sigh. Instead, he inches his hand towards hers until they brush. She jumps, color flaming in her cheeks for a moment, before she twines her fingers with his.

His heart flutters pleasantly, and he squeezes her hand. She responds in kind, resting her head on his shoulder, and oh God, this is everything Adrien has ever wanted, and he suddenly thinks he's in danger of dying of happiness.

_I'm going to marry this girl someday._

It's with this thought in mind that he watches elimination after elimination. The sound of the loud buzzards echo in the air, and soon, there are only two people left: a man looking to be somewhere in his early 20's, and a tiny Asian girl Adrien swears he's seen around campus; probably a ninth grader or something.

After a few tense moments, a buzzard sounds obnoxiously.

The man curses in a heavy British accent, sending an apologetic look to the young girl moments later. She smiles dorkily and walks to edge of her ring, offering her hand. Just as the dude goes to take it, she pulls away and—

_And flips him off._

Adrien can hear Nino's "OOOOOHHHHHHHH!" over the other screams of savagery filling the air. He claps his hand over his mouth and looks down at Marinette, who looks equally as delighted/horrified/shell-shocked as Adrien feels.

The man throws everyone a nasty scowl, shouting something in English as he stomps out of the ring and through an exit.

"How embarrassing," Marinette mutters into Adrien's chest as she leans into him. "Poor guy."

Adrien wraps his arms around her, his pulse jumping into his throat. Does she realize what she's doing to him? Is she just looking for friendly comfort? Is this a more intimate act?

His thoughts are far from the guy who has probably just turned himself into a meme.

***   *   ***

"Stupid, little brat," he spits, pushing past a man in an official-looking suit. The worker sends him an ugly scowl before fixing his collar.

"Don't get in my way next time, prat," Mason snaps angrily, sending a nasty glare over his shoulder in the direction of the appalled man. 

By the time he reaches a secluded place, his anger has only escalated. He's been working on his yo-yo skills for years! How the hell did a 14-year-old girl manage to beat him?!

 _This whole thing is rigged,_  he fumes, sending a rock flying via the toe of his shoe. The yo-yo is still gripped in his hand, and he's tempted to throw it as far as he can.

_"Yo-Yo Master, I am Hawk Moth. You have been wronged in your art of mastery, and your victory has been stolen out from under your nose. In exchange for the power I can grant you to show all of Paris who truly deserves to wield the yo-yo, I only ask that you bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses."_

"Yes, Hawk Moth."

Mason doesn't register the numbing sensation that envelops his subconscious as thick black tendrils of magic climb up his arm and spread across his body.

***   *   ***

"I'm worried," Marinette pesters, poking Adrien's arm.

"Yeah," Adrien agrees, eyes not leaving the red rings as the sector competes, "Alya kind of sucks at this."

Marinette scowls and swats him only to receive a laugh in return. "No she doesn't!"

Adrien leans down into her personal space and waggles his eyebrows. "She's not as good as Ladybug."

The heroine herself shrugs, ignoring the fact that her knees are threatening to turn to jelly, and gently shoves him away by the nose. "Shame she can't be here to prove that theory."

Adrien leans back in again as if Marinette's a magnet, and he's a thick chunk of metal. "Or maybe she is, and she's right under our noses."

A smirk plays along Marinette's lips as she stands on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Maybe she is. Are you a fan, Adrien?"

Adrien shudders underneath Marinette's hand resting on his shoulder. "A big one. I'm basically in love with her." He suddenly stiffens, snapping his mouth shut as Marinette pulls away with wide eyes.

Marinette wobbles, feeling inexplicably dizzy. Before she has a chance to respond, an obnoxiously loud ripping sound tears through the air. All eyes turn to the yo-yo frozen in mid-air, having been the culprit of the massive hole in the tent, just sitting there casually.

"I knew it," Marinette hisses, seemingly the only one not entranced by the sudden appearance of the yo-yo.

A man in a what in looks to be something like a butler suit in a ravishing purple comes strolling through hole—balancing on the yo-yo string with ease.

"Oh, well don't stop on my accord!" the pale-skinned akuma says with a flourish, his deep British accent obvious in his tone. He adjusts his redvelvet tie, then proceeds to take out a pocket watch. He glances around when nobody moves. "Isn't this the part where you all start screaming and running before I capture you in my magical yo-yo to generate power?"

Shrieks of panic blossom across the audience, and the gigantic mass of people all begin to move at once. Marinette grabs Adrien's hand and begins yanking him away. Finding a good place to hide and transform proves to be an obstacle with everyone shoving and pushing.

"Alright, this is just rude," Adrien mutters from behind Marinette. Adrien scoops her up into his arms and begins elbowing past people, using his tall height to his advantage.

"You know," Marinette muses haughtily, openly staring at his attractive profile, "I could have probably barreled everyone down. Then again, I don't mind the view."

Adrien flushes a lovely shade of red, and Marinette coos in hopes of further embarrassing him.

"No worries, My Lady," he finally manages, cracking a small smirk and sending a mischievous glance her way, "there are ways this cat can think of to get back at you." As if to prove his point, he leans down and plants a kiss to her cheekbone, grinning triumphantly when Marinette steadily turns scarlet.

 _Do it again,_  she almost demands, her pulse thudding rapidly as blood roars in her ears. 

She doesn't get the chance to make a fool of herself before Adrien is ducking into an abandoned staff tent and relinquishing his hold on her. She hits the ground with a soft thump and pries open her purse.

Tikki comes whizzing out, blinking big indigo eyes at her Chosen. Her gaze turns to Adrien, and a smile splits her lips as she floats up and hugs his cheek.

Adrien blushes lightly when she whispers something in his ear before returning to Marinette. "Do you guys wanna try a partner transformation? The energy you will be able to generate will be off the charts; it should make up for a big chunk of your energy depletion, which has gone down noticeably with how close you two have been thus far."

Marinette tilts her head, swallowing her embarrassment in favor of asking, "Partner transformation?"

Adrien pulls open his flannel, and Plagg corkscrews through the air. "Yeah. Only the Holders of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses can do it. Something about yin and yang that I'm not going to go into detail on."

"Of course not." Adrien jabs Plagg in the side with one of those scowl-smiles, and Plagg responds by sticking his tongue out.

"Okay, but how do we do it?" Marinette queries impatiently, cringing when screams pierce the air once more.

"Your souls have to connect," Tikki states simply, as if this isn't some kind of groundbreaking announcement that shouldn't even be possible.

Marinette looks at Adrien the same time he looks at her, her expression of disbelief mirrored in his. She turns back to her Kwami. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," Plagg chirps, placing his arms behind his head and rocking back and forth in the air as if he's laying on a hammock.

"How the hell are we supposed to—"

A boom echoes right outside of their tent, and Marinette jumps.

"It doesn't matter!" Tikki shouts over the suddenly howling wind. "Just focus, and it will come!"

"Okay!" Marinette replies loudly, closing the distance between herself and Adrien. She turns to Tikki. "Do we just transform?" Wind crashes against her, and the tent flaps flutter violently.

"Cross your arms over your chest!"

Marinette and Adrien do so.

"Look into each other's eyes!"

Their eyes meet, and intensity crackles between them.

"Merge!"

Something in Marinette's mind clicks like a puzzle piece, and she feels a flourish of emotion; it's as if someone else's life is flashing before her eyes.

There's a boy. He's small and happy. He's at a playground being chased by a little girl with blonde hair now. No, now he's laying in bed with a beautiful woman who must be his mother. Wait, no, his father is twirling him in the air on a basketball court. He ages steadily, and the lighthearted feeling of happiness lasts right up until the boy is old enough for Marinette to realize that it's Adrien.

And suddenly, it's like cold water is doused on her. An overwhelming feeling of loss hangs over her heart, and she begins to ache to terribly. She watches Adrien crumple to the ground, screaming something.

_"Mother!"_

Marinette feels the tears fall even as herself and Adrien simultaneously shout their transformation keys.

**"Tikki, spots on!"**

**"Plagg, claws out!"**

Her arms move of their own accord as she reaches up and brushes her fingertips over his eyes. Adrien does the same to her, wiping her tears away with a soft smile as he goes.

A ball of pink and green energy begins to swell around them, and Marinette's tempted to reach out and try to touch it.

Her fingertips trace themselves through Adrien's hair, ruffling it and pulling on thin-air. Cat ears materialize following her fingers, and her hands move to his collarbone in the blink of an eye.

As she follows the line of his transformation, his fingers run over her as well. She feels vulnerable, yet inexplicably powerful.

Energy sizzles around them, crackling like lightning striking a rod. Adrien's emotions and feelings slow down and delay, and Marinette feels their loss.

And, all at once, it's over.

They breathlessly break away from one another, now suited-up. The heavy weight of everything Marinette has seen still rests upon her.

Now she understands the "their pain is my pain" saying.

The first thing she can think to do is envelop him in a hug. It doesn't last long, as they have a job to do, but she makes sure he feels her complete and utter comprehension of his loss.

She's not sure what she'd do if she lost Maman.

"Thanks," Chat Noir says softly, his voice sounding a bit hoarser than usual.

She pulls away and looks up at him. "Of course."

They kind of just stare at one another until another loud crash from outside rattles them out of their reveries.

Ladybug suddenly realizes that the wind is no longer howling. Everything is calm; the crash had been distant.

"Come on," she urges, unclasping her yo-yo from her hip. "It's time to go akuma hunting."

Chat beams at her. "I love it when you get all frightening."

Ladybug fights a smile. "You coming?"

Chat steps up beside her and takes her hand in his, his fingers twining with hers.

"Always."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves! Lubiniki from Miraculous Amino decided she’d be so kind as to commission a second 10,000 word part of the original commission! 
> 
> Hold on to your hats; this’ll be a bit of a wild ride. ;D
> 
> Feedback is much appreciated!
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

Ladybug ducks and rolls, wincing as the gravel-filled parking lot brushes none too gently against her protective suit. She wipes the lingering dirt from her lip and jumps.

“What’s wrong, Bug?” Yo-Yo Master spits menacingly, a cruel smile curling his purple lips. “Are you really no match for a simple man playing with a child’s toy? Isn’t this _your_ profession?”

His teasing lilt has a growl rising in Ladybug’s throat as she makes a jab at him with her yo-yo. Seemingly having seen it coming, Yo-Yo Master dodges the attack with ease, his condescending smirk only widening his pale-framed face.

Ladybug’s gaze darts to Chat Noir, who has been slowly creeping up on the akuma from behind. They had discussed strategy for a brief moment before Yo-Yo Master had found them, and they both had agreed that attaining the possessed object (most likely the yo-yo) was going to be no easy task.

They have to play it smart.

Then again, Plans A through D have gone down the toilet thus far. Plan E (Evaluate and Attain) is in progress, though Ladybug has a haunting feeling that this plan is about to go out with a bang.

Her theory is proven correct when Yo-Yo Master suddenly turns away from her and swivels on Chat Noir, his yo-yo already extending to smack Chat in the face. Chat barely manages to deflect the blow with a mighty swing of his staff, sending the yo-yo flying a good bit before it comes shooting back.

Ladybug sends her own yo-yo careening towards Chat, getting him around the wrist, and tugs him towards her. He’s yanked a few feet before he takes to the air with his stave, following Ladybug as she ducks into an abandoned warehouse.

“What was that, Plan G?” Chat asks sarcastically, his voice echoing in the empty space.

“E,” Ladybug corrects, “and now it’s time for Plan F.”

“And what’s that? Plan Fuck It and Just Beat Him Up?” Chat snorts at his own smart-ass response, and Ladybug slaps his arm weakly.

 _“No,”_ she emphasizes, rolling her eyes and cocking her hip. “Just Beat Him Up is Plan J. Plan F is Fight _and_ Flight. We need to figure out a way to distract him long enough to snag his yo-yo.”

“How do you plan on accomplishing that, Bugaboo?” Chat purrs, leaning into her personal space with a suggestive eyebrow waggle. “Are you going to seduce him?”

“Yes, Chat,” Ladybug responds flatly. “I am going to crawl all over him on live television under the watchful gaze of thousands of children. Great idea.”

Chat winces into a chuckle, holding his hands up in a ‘you’ve got me’ motion. “Fair enough.” He sobers. “Should we bring his source of anger into the equation?”

Ladybug purses her lips. “You mean the ninth grader?”

“No, no,” Chat denies quickly, “we can’t put any civilians in danger. I mean… maybe you should challenge him to a yo-yo duel.”

Ladybug quirks an eyebrow. “That’s… actually a pretty good idea. I attack him from the air, and you get him from the ground.”

Chat grins smugly before shrugging. “I’m full of good ideas. I can also play the piano.” He winks, and Ladybug snorts at the complete and utter irrelevance of that particular fun fact.

“Yeah, and I can play the flute,” she mutters sarcastically before taking to the air and landing on the rafters of the roof.

Chat’s sound of annoyance brings a grin to her face as she ducks through a window and slides out of the warehouse, already forming an attack strategy in her mind’s eye.

Yo-Yo Master is nowhere in sight, and even as Ladybug cautiously swings through the entire area, she realizes that his flashy clothing is missing from the bright sky entirely. Ladybug frowns. Where could he have gone? He was dead-set on capturing their Miraculous not moments prior…

Akuma have two goals: steal the Miraculous, and… pursue the victim of their amplified fury.

“Shit,” Ladybug swears, already changing course and heading back towards the stadium.

Chat Noir must have seen her change of direction, for he follows her on foot. They both land at the desolate scene at the exact same time. The duo exchanges a look before walking towards the ghost town of a tent, weapons raised defensively.

The place is a mess. Brochures of the event litter the grassy floor—most torn in a variety of places. The lights are out, leaving the place in complete darkness. Bits of popcorn are scattered across the space as well, and Ladybug jumps only slightly when she steps on a piece. It’s so silent, Ladybug is almost convinced that no one is around.

A single spotlight flicks on with a loud click, revealing someone sitting on a chair in the center ring. Ladybug’s heart thumps unevenly, and she and Chat Noir both move closer, their steps quickening with every passing beat.

 _That’s not just someone,_ Ladybug realizes, panic flickering in her chest, _it’s the ninth grader._

The heroes leap up into the ring, and Ladybug gasps. The poor girl is bound to the chair with thick ropes. Sweat dots her forehead, and her entire face is pale and panicked. Her long, black hair is mussed, stray strands sticking up at odd angles.

When Ladybug and Chat approach her, she jumps and begins shouting something into the violet handkerchief shoved into her mouth. Ladybug is quick to kneel down and remove it, Chat standing guard and suspiciously looking around behind her.  

The girl begins sobbing quietly and uncontrollably, rendering the heroes speechless. Finally, she manages a choked, “L-Ladybug. You have to—you have to go now.”

“What’s your name?” Chat asks, kneeling down next to Ladybug and placing a hand on the short girl’s shoulder. Ladybug, in turn, stands and begins looking around, trying to see anything moving in the darkness of the tent.

“Hamiko,” she responds hesitantly. “Am I safe now?”

Ladybug bites her lip, choosing not to comment when Chat says, “Yes. You’re safe with us.”

“Get her out of here,” Ladybug orders quietly, not turning to look at them.

“I’m not leaving you,” Chat responds in a soft but firm tone, the frown evident in his voice.

Ladybug turns to look at him to see him standing to his full height once more, completely looming over both her and Hamiko.

“Well, we can’t keep her here,” Ladybug points out, a note of slight hilarity in her voice.

“I would like to disagree.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir snap their attention to the right. Ladybug squints, but she can’t see anything. She glances at Chat to see him baring his teeth at the shadows, a low growl curling in the base of his throat.

“Ladybug,” he snarls softly, his eyes still trained on what Ladybug assumes to be the akuma, “get her out of here.”

Ladybug would roll her eyes if they were in a less compromising position. She doesn’t argue, instead choosing to grab Hamiko and chuck her yo-yo at a building in the distance. She yanks on the string and takes off flying. Hamiko screams as they shoot through the air, but Ladybug hardly hears her over the guilt pulsing in her chest.

Should she have left him? Did she make the right choice? Where can she hide Hamiko?

“Do you live nearby?” Ladybug asks over the howling wind, throwing her yo-yo once more at a distant building.

“Yes!” Hamiko shouts back, tagging on her address as she clings to Ladybug.

Ladybug nods and changes their course to the easily recognizable street name. They approach a wide street with enormous houses lining the perfectly paved sidewalks.

“Point to which one it is,” Ladybug states, eyes roving over each ginormous bit of property. They’re almost as big as the Agreste mansion, but not quite.

Hamiko points at a pristine white one a few houses down, and Ladybug wastes no time in swinging her there and dropping her off at the front door. She takes Hamiko by both shoulders and smiles empathetically. “I need you to stay inside with the door locked, okay? Chat and I won’t let him hurt you.”

Even though Hamiko is only a year or so younger than her, she gives off the demeanor of a much smaller girl. She nods curtly, her small frame quivering slightly. “Okay.”

With one last smile, Ladybug turns and swings away, determined to find her partner in justice.

_Hopefully he’s fairing alright. This akuma is one of the toughest ones yet. Might need to bring Alya into this if it gets to be too much._

She returns to the tent to find it darker than ever, the single spotlight that had shown on Hamiko when she had been tied up now gone. Ladybug listens for the the sound of a struggle—or anything, really—but hears nothing.

With a frustrated/worried/guilt-ridden huff, she flips open her yo-yo and clicks on the tracking setting so she can locate Chat. She frowns and turns back to look into the tent, a hint of disbelief mixed with fear curling in her chest.

She steals another glance at the map with his location on it. His baton is his location indicator, and his tracker says he’s…

_He’s in there._

Or at the very least, his baton is.

Ladybug swallows her inhibitions and calls for a Lucky Charm. She’s pleased when night vision goggles fall into her waiting hands, and is quick to slip them on.

Everything suddenly becomes outlined in a deep green the color of Chat Noir’s eyes, and Ladybug finds herself stepping through the entrance of the tent, looking for any sign of life.

Nothing really jumps out at her. The place is completely vacant except for a small, glowing light lying in the grass. Ladybug quickly makes her way towards it, a growing sense of dread nestling itself in the forefront of her chest.

Horror curdles in her when she crouches down and picks up Chat’s baton, which is throbbing dully.

Ladybug can already feel the beginnings of a nasty headache encroaching upon her as she stands and firmly grips Chat’s staff.

How is she supposed to find him now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand scene! Cliffhanger Queen? I think yes. No worries, though, I’m already a few thousand words into the second part of this commission!
> 
> Hope that kept you loved on the edges of your seats! Not much romance, but don’t worry, you’ll get your fix. ;)
> 
> Xoxo, J.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves! Jade here with the second part of Lubiniki’s 10,000 word commission. I know the first was a little short, but I did that on purpose to give a little taste of what’s to come. ;p
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

Master Fu watches Marinette pace across the length of the room, hands in her hair as her mouth runs off without her. Her distress and fear for her partner’s well-being is rather obvious, and so he considers his options with the utmost care.

While he trusts present Ladybug, she’s not exactly in the best position to be making important decisions at the moment.

“Ladybug,” he interrupts, effectively silencing her, “find the part-time Holder of the Fox Miraculous and gift it to her for the time being. Let her hold on to it.” He hesitates before adding, “And I want you to find a Holder for the Turtle Miraculous, as well.”

Marinette’s mouth falls open. “Isn’t that your Miraculous, Master?”

Master Fu sighs and stands from his place on the mat. “Yes. I was originally going to have Chat Noir pick the Holder of the Turtle Miraculous, though it seems as if you need more assistance now rather than later.”

Marinette suddenly cringes, gripping her forehead with a pained look on her face. “Yeah,” she manages, “leave it to me.”

Master Fu fetches the Fox Miraculous in its case as well as the Turtle Miraculous case. He carefully removes his bracelet and places it in said case before turning towards Marinette. “I expect to see the Turtle Miraculous back in my possession when the fight is over.” He places both cases in Marinette’s hands. “Choose wisely.”

With a dutiful nod, Marinette transforms and makes her leave.

Master Fu exhales into the empty silence before returning to his mat with a solemn sigh.

***   *   ***

Ladybug swings as fast as she can to Alya’s place of residence. Luckily, it’s not too far from Master Fu’s massage parlor, and she’s there in a matter of minutes.

She lands on Alya’s balcony as silently as she can manage before knocking on the glass.

Alya glances up from her computer and, by the looks of it, nearly falls backwards in her desk chair. She quickly scrambles from her spot and opens her balcony door, adoration shining in her eyes as she utters, “Ladybug?”

Ladybug offers her the box with what she hopes is the right Miraculous. “We need you. Chat Noir is MIA.” She holds up his staff to support her statement.

Alya takes the box, an excited gleam in her eyes. She opens and slips on the necklace. In record time, she transforms and follows Ladybug from building to building.

Ladybug stops on a roof, and the sound of Rena’s silent steps follow suit. “I need you to patrol the city for the akuma while I recruit another Holder.”

Rena’s eyes widen in surprise. “There’s going to be _another_  Miraculous Holder?”

Ladybug merely nods in response. “If you find anything that might help us find Chat, please contact me immediately.”

“Got it.” And with that, Rena takes off in the opposite direction.

It takes Ladybug a bit to remember where Nino lives, but once she does, she’s there and landing right outside of his window faster than she can think, _‘Found it.’_ She peers in to see Nino asleep on his bed, fully clothed.

Ladybug chuckles fondly before prying the window open and slipping in silently. She creeps towards his bed, and the first thing she does is put her hand over his mouth.

He startles awake, his shout muffled by her hand. After a moment, he stops screaming into her palm and instead queries, “Lafybugh?”

Ladybug presses a single finger to her lips and retracts her hand. “Yeah. Nino, right?”

“Yeah,” he confirms breathlessly. “What are you doing here?”

Ladybug inhales deeply. “I need your help.”

***   *   ***

“Wait ‘til I tell Adrien about this,” Nino whispers, awe-struck as he examines the green suit he’s clad in.

Even though Ladybug knows every Holder’s identity, she reminds Nino, “You can’t tell anyone. This is a secret you must never share.”

Nino’s expression falls. “Damn. Wait,” his expression lights up again, “do I, like, get to choose a superhero name and stuff?”

Ladybug giggles into her hand. “Yeah, but hurry. We have to get going.”

He only takes a moment to consider before snapping his fingers and pointing at her. “Carapace. Yeah.” He nods appreciatively at himself.

“Alright, Carapace.” Ladybug extends her fist. “Welcome to Team Miraculous.”

Carapace meets her fist with an ecstatic grin. “Happy to be here, LB.”

Ladybug grins and nods her head. “Let’s meet up with Rena before we do anything else.”

Carapace nods, and the two heroes take off, scaling the buildings of the city in search of Rena. Carapace’s whoops bring a smile to Ladybug’s face as she watches him ride his shield through the air like he’s surfing a wave.

Marinette has known Nino for years and has been getting closer to him since Alya has been forcing the four friends to hang out more and more, and she trusts him completely with the Miraculous. She will be sad to have to make Nino give it up, but Nino will surely understand.

“Is that her?” Carapace asks, swerving next to Ladybug as she runs along a stretch of roof. He indicates where he’s looking by nodding at an orange figure in the distance.

“Yeah,” Ladybug confirms, chucking her yo-yo in that direction.

Rena turns to greet the two heroes, eyes widening at the new arrival.

“Carapace,” he introduces quickly, turning to Ladybug as if he expects her to say something.

“Have you caught sight of the akuma or Chat?” Ladybug asks urgently, eyes peeled as she examines the area with precision. “I really need him.”

Rena lets out a sound distinctly squeal-like, and Ladybug’s headache pounds behind her eyes. “You two are a thing, then? Are you in love with one another? Has the flirting had real meaning? Have you been secretly da—”

“Cool it with the questions, Lois Lane,” Carapace chuckles, effectively cutting Rena off. “You sound like that Ladyblogger.”

“No time for chit-chat, guys. I get what it sounds like”—Ladybug feels her cheeks warm—“but it’s much more complicated than that. I need Chat for Miraculous reasons.”

Rena and Carapace nod dutifully. “Gotcha,” they echo.

“Since Carapace is still new at this, you two will partner up and take the east. I’ll take the west,” Ladybug issues. “If you see or hear anything, call me.” She taps her yo-yo before giving a two-fingered salute and taking off, Chat’s staff still clutched in her hand.

“Okay, weird Miraculous power,” she says to herself. “Lead me to Chat Noir.”

***   *   ***

“Asshole,” Chat mutters, rounding another dimly lit corner of—you guessed it—Paris’ ever extravagant _sewer system._ “I can’t believe I’m playing tag with a yo-yo themed akuma in a place that smells worse than Plagg’s camembert.”

Chat’s head has taken on a thundering headache, and he has yet to find a way out of this worse-for-wear hellhole. He idly wonders how Marinette is fairing without him. Probably fine, considering she’s not the one being chased down by the akuma.

In all honesty, he’d much rather be the one down here than have her be down here, what, with her lacking where he exceeds in the night vision department. Though the increased sense of smell (thanks, magical god Plagg) may lead to his impending death.

Chat’s considered detransforming a couple of times now, but has ultimately decided that that would be a terrible idea. While his vision in the dark is still considerably better than the average person’s thanks to the effects of the Miraculous on his civilian person, if Yo-Yo Master was to catch up to him, he’d discover Chat’s secret identity (unless other people make a habit of running amuck in Paris’ scintillating sewer system—he can wish) and report it straight to Hawk Moth. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to Chat.

Without his staff, things have been increasingly difficult. He hasn’t been able to contact or locate Ladybug, he hasn’t been able to move faster and vault himself farther distances, and he hasn’t been able to videotape this so he can send it to the Ladyblog later.

Chat spots a deep groove in the wall and finds a ladder leading up about fifty feet. He begins climbing as quickly as he can, eager to get back into the light of day.

When he finally reaches the top the long ladder, he easily pushes the lid open. As his amazing luck might have it, a car just barely careens around his head, honking obnoxiously.

Of _course_  the sewer lid he pushes open is in the middle of a busy road.

Chat yelps and ducks back under the lid, letting it fall into place. His exclamation echoes in the sewer distantly, and he curses his rotten luck as he hears Yo-Yo Master cackle from close by.

“Well,” Chat sighs, “if I die right here and right now, they better put a pun of some sort on my tombstone.” And with that notion, he pushes the sewer lid open and hurls himself into the light of day.

He narrowly dodges two different cars before skidding to a stop on the sidewalk, fist-pumping victoriously.

His miniature reign of triumph dies a quick yet painful death when Yo-Yo Master’s weapon of choice (the ever-popular yo-yo) bursts through the sewer lid, effectively destroying it. Cars screech to a halt, and screams of nearby civilians pierce the once calm air.

The villain himself comes zipping out of the narrow tunnel and into the air with flair, and Chat is presented with the decision to either fight or make a run for it.

He plants his feet. “I’m no coward.”

After successfully capturing a few people in the endless depths of his yo-yo, Yo-Yo Master’s gaze falls on him, his hollow black eyes reflecting no emotion as a malevolent smirk stretches his lips. “Found you, Kitty.”

Chat gets into a defensive crouch when the akuma swings towards him. Chat manages to deflect him with his fisted palms, though the effort puts quite a bit of strain on his knuckles.

Yo-Yo Master easily collects himself and jabs at Chat with his yo-yo. Chat, having no weapon but his hands and feet, has to watch the angle of the yo-yo with extreme precision so he can knock the base of it away rather than getting caught with it wrapped around a body part.

“C’mon, everyone knows the Karate Kid always wins,” Chat boasts, hands poised in a classic karate form as he breathes heavily from having tirelessly (and successfully) defended himself.

“It might help if you had a little assistance.”

Chat turns in surprise to see Ladybug standing tall in all her glory, yo-yo spinning into a pink blur of light. His staff is gripped in her other hand, and she tosses it to him. He catches it effortlessly, smile adoring as he appraises her with a grateful smile.

Two more figures land on either side of Ladybug. Chat recognizes one of them to be Rena Rouge, part-time hero and acquaintance of Ladybug. The other one, however…

“Look out!” Ladybug sprints at Chat and leaps over him, easily clearing his head and deflecting another yo-yo attack from the akuma. Chat watches them engage in a fight of skill, conscious of the other two heroes coming to stand on either side of him.

“Carapace,” the green newbie says, extending a hand. “Happy to be in business, Tomcat.”

Chat gives a small snort and shakes his hand firmly. “I’d introduce myself, but I’m pretty sure you know who I am, Shelly.” Chat turns to Rena and nods his head.

She returns the gesture with a small smile before motioning to Ladybug and the akuma with her head. “Think we can take him?”

Chat cracks his knuckles and rolls his shoulders back with a growing smirk. “That’s not even a real question.”

***   *   ***

“Ladybug! Ladybug!” Ladybug takes a step back as a new voice cries her name and shoves a microphone in her face. “Any comments on the return of Rena Rouge?”

Ladybug smiles and look at Rena. “We’re happy to have her join Team Miraculous.”

“Team Miraculous?” a new voice queries loudly, this time male. “Who does that include?”

“Why, Ladybug, Rena, Carapace, and myself, of course,” Chat answers cheekily, throwing a casual arm around Ladybug’s shoulder.

Ladybug works on her lower lip with her teeth. “We’ll take one more question.”

“Ladybug! Is it true that you needed to recruit new heroes because Hawk Moth’s akuma are getting harder and harder to defeat?”

The crowd of reporters quiet down, seemingly very interested in this particular question.

Ladybug hesitates before holding her hand up and motioning to Rena and Carapace. “The more the merrier. They are valuable additions to our team. No further questions.”

The group of eager reporters explode into a wild chatter, waves of questions being hurled at the heroes, some pointing out the way Ladybug so clearly avoided answering the question.

Ladybug motions for the other heroes to follow her as she takes to the sky, no set destination in mind. Finally she stumbles upon a long, isolated rooftop and lands on it gracefully, walking along the length of it before turning to see the faces of her new teammates.

“Oh, that’s right,” Rena mutters, her expression falling. “It’s time to give the Miraculous back.”

“We have to give them back?” Carapace queries, sounding offended as he touches his bracelet defensively.

“Well,” Ladybug says hesitantly, “sort of.” She turns to Rena. “Actually, you get to keep yours. You have proven yourself to be respectable and trustworthy.” She nods respectfully before turning back to Carapace. “I do trust you, but I need your Miraculous back.” She looks at Rena and Chat expectantly. “Do you guys mind?”

“Oh, yeah,” Chat laughs, though it sounds strained. “Right. We’re just…”

“We’re gonna go,” Rena interrupts, grabbing Chat’s arm and dragging him over the edge of the roof.

Carapace’s transformation drops, revealing Nino. “That was pretty awesome,” Nino admits breathlessly. “Even if we four took him down in record time.”

Ladybug chuckles as she watches Nino pull the Miraculous box out of his shorts’ pocket and place his Miraculous in it. He hands it over to her, his smile small. “Is it possible you could drop me off outside of the tent for the competition? I wanna see if my girlfriend is hanging around in that area.”

“No problem,” Ladybug says, smiling at her friend and hooking her arm around his waist.

“Hey,” Nino starts before she takes off, “can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Ladybug responds, momentarily releasing her hold on him.

“Do I know you?” His gaze is searching as he stares into her eyes, and it’s almost like he wants to recognize her, but doesn’t.

Ladybug only gives him a small, close-lipped smile in response before grabbing Nino and taking off towards the giant tent in the distance.

What must be hundreds upon hundreds of people are mulling about right outside the entrance when she gets there, all waiting to go back inside to continue watching the competition.

“Guess it’s not cancelled after all,” Nino points out obviously. “Thought for sure it would be.”

Ladybug drops them down into a small alleyway a couple of blocks away, releasing Nino easily. “Thanks for joining us, Nino. And remember: you can’t tell anyone, okay?” Ladybug extends her fist, fighting a smile.

“I gotchu.” Nino grins and meets her fist with his own. “See you in there?”

Ladybug scoffs. “Me? Compete? That just wouldn’t be fair.” She winks, and Nino laughs. “Oh,” Ladybug adds, “and say hello to your girlfriend for me.”

Nino nods, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Will do, LB. See ya ‘round.” He gives her a two-fingered salute before turning on his heel and strolling out into the street.

Ladybug waits a minute more before yo-yoing out of there, easily finding her way to Master Fu’s massage parlor. She tucks herself into another alley far from the prying eyes of the public and releases her transformation. She looks down at the box bearing the Turtle Miraculous with a small sigh before making her way into Master Fu’s place.

She pushes open the door to find none other than Adrien Agreste sitting on the mat across from Master Fu, the two deep in conversation. Upon her entrance, they both turn to look at Marinette.

“Ladybug,” Master Fu acknowledges with a smile, “do you have the Miraculous?”

“Yes, Master,” Marinette says, looking between Master Fu and Adrien as she hurries over to the short man. She hands him the Miraculous, and he immediately opens the box and places the bracelet onto his wrist. A small green Kwami, Wayzz, as Marinette knows him, appears.

“I like him,” Wayzz states with an approving nod. He faces Marinette. “Strong choice, Ladybug.”

Marinette bows her head. “Er—thanks.” Her eyes dart to Adrien once more, who has been watching her this entire time.

“I was just telling Chat Noir about our run-in earlier. He showed up because he thought you would be here to return the Turtle Miraculous,” Master Fu explains, drawing Marinette’s attention to him.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to choose the Holder, Adrien,” Marinette apologizes guiltily, her gaze dancing to and from his. “It was supposed to be you who chose, but… I think I actually chose your first choice.”

She takes a seat beside him, stealing a glance to see him run a hand through his hair with a small smile. “It’s okay, Mari. I couldn’t exactly do much underground.”

Marinette cocks an eyebrow at him. “You were underground?”

“In the sewer system,” Adrien says, pursing his lips and nodding slowly. “That was… something.”

Marinette can’t help the stream of giggles that leave her mouth, and she brings her hand up in an attempt to stop them when Adrien glares playfully. He bumps her shoulder with his, and she tips over in her fit of giggles.

Adrien fondly puts a hand on her knee as she continues laughing quietly, his attention going back to Master Fu. “Is Carapace ever going to make a reappearance, or was this a one time thing?”

“Well,” Master Fu starts, though hesitation is present, “I was thinking of taking you and Ladybug under my wing for training. Then, once you two have a good amount of experience, we bring Rena in—though this includes revealing yourselves to her, which I am not sure if you’re ready for.”

Marinette sits up, her eyes watery with tears of hilarity. She wipes them up and purses her lips into an embarrassed line so she won’t start laughing again. “What would the training schedule be?”

She can feel Adrien smiling at her, his grin barely contained. The attention makes her heart stutter unsteadily. It’s such an odd feeling to be so suddenly and inexplicably close to him. It still blows Marinette’s mind, but she finds herself not having a problem with their new arrangement in the slightest.

“Since you only have a week of school left, we will start the day after school ends, six o’clock AM sharp.”

Marinette’s mouth falls open.

Adrien nods, seemingly unaware of Marinette’s shock. “Yeah, okay. Sounds good. I don’t think I have morning shoots during the summer because of how hot and unbearable it gets, but my schedule is a little uncertain sometimes. Father likes to add things without telling me.” He looks to Marinette, maybe to see what corresponding events she may have, only to see her turning paler by the moment.

Master Fu is also looking at Marinette. “Ladybug, that won’t be a problem, will it?” His eyes sparkle with what could very well be mischief, and Marinette finds herself clearing her throat.

“No, no,” she squeaks, coughing into her fist and bringing her tone down a couple of octaves, “no problem at all, Master.” She tries to smile, but it must be pained because Adrien begins snickering into his hand. She slaps his shoulder, her smile never faltering as she continues looking at Master Fu. “You can count on me.”

Master Fu smiles pleasantly. “Well, good. Now, good luck on your finals.”

Adrien gets to his feet before Marinette does, so she turns to him and extends her hands.

Adrien looks from her hands to her face, his eyebrows raising in amusement. “You can save a city, but you can’t stand up on your own?”

“Shhh just help me up, pretty boy,” she half-whines and half-demands in a tired tone, flexing her fingers expectantly.

Adrien feigns a sigh. “Fine, but only because you admitted to how beautiful you think I am.” He pulls her to her feet and winks at her as he leans in to wiggle his eyebrows in her face, and Marinette rolls her eyes with a smile before lightly pushing him away by the nose.

“Bye, Master Fu,” Marinette says, smiling sweetly and waving before following Adrien out of the door.

Master Fu chuckles and shakes his head, his gaze catching Wayzz’s.

“Those two really _were_  made for each other.”

***   *   ***

“Marinette, come on, we promised this afternoon study session to Alya and Nino.”

“Noooo, come back. You purr when you sleep, and it feels nice.”

“I—I don’t purr!”

“You were this morning.”

“Mari, get up.”

“No.”

“Marinette—”

“Adrien—”

“Ladybug—”

“Chat Noir—”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien stomps his foot impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking an eyebrow at his partner.

Marinette merely rolls over in response, cuddling her pillow as she had been cuddling him not ten minutes prior. He had had to text Nathalie the moment he woke up to beg for his life and say that he had slept over at Nino’s after the yo-yo festivities. Spending so much time with Marinette leaves him feeling oddly refreshed, and he suspects it has something to do with the Miraculous (or it might be something else, who knows, right hahaha?).

Adrien watches Marinette toss her leg over the pillow and snuggle into it, and he’s ashamed to admit that jealousy bubbles in his chest at the sight.

“Marinette,” he threatens, taking tentative steps towards her, “don’t make me do it.”

She jumps and rolls over to face him, horrified before her eyes narrow challengingly. “You wouldn’t.”

“I most certainly would if we were to be late. I need to change clothes, and if I have to tickle you, I will tickle you.”

“Then transform and goooo,” Marinette groans before sighing and sitting up. She throws the covers off of herself and mumbles something along the lines of “mangy alley cat.”

Adrien grins. “I’ll be back to pick you up outside in twenty.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marinette waves him off, stretching and passing him on the way down the stairs leading up to her bed. She turns to look back at him, and Adrien’s heart seizes up. She smiles tiredly and gives a little wave. “See you, Kitty.”

He smiles back gently, giving a two-fingered salute. “Count on it, Buginette.” And with that, Adrien excuses himself and transforms as lowkey as he possibly can before making his way up to her balcony and vaulting off to his own house for a change of clothes and a lightning-quick shower.

“So,” Plagg drawls, his smug voice echoing in the confines of Adrien’s pristine bathroom, “what’s up with you and bakery girl?”

Adrien dunks his head into the line of hot water. “She has a name, you know.”

“Names; one of them being Ladybug. Doesn’t hurt her case.”

Anger bubbles in Adrien’s chest. “I don’t like her because she’s Ladybug.”

“But would you like her if she wasn’t?”

More than anything, Adrien wants to say yes. He really does, but…

If Marinette wasn’t Ladybug, would he still have feelings for her?

After struggling to justify his scattered thoughts, Adrien finally puts together an explanation that puts his feelings into words and shuts down his doubts. “Marinette is not part of Ladybug’s identity, Ladybug is part of Marinette’s identity. And while Ladybug is who I fell in love with, she’s only a small puzzle piece to Marinette’s whole person. She’s not half Ladybug and half Marinette, she’s one hundred percent Marinette all the time. Ladybug is only a small portion of her, and the more I learn about Marinette’s other portions, the farther down the rabbit hole I fall. And…” Adrien hesitates, his cheeks pinking as he contemplates whether he should share this next part out loud. “And…I want to spend the rest of my life discovering her piece by piece.”

Plagg doesn’t say anything for a while, and Adrien isn’t sure how to fill the silence, so he doesn’t.

Finally, he hears a very quiet “Good answer, kid.”

A smile pulls on Adrien’s lips as he turns the nozzle of the shower, effectively shutting it off.

It doesn’t take long for Adrien to find a suitable t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Just as he’s tying his second shoe, a swift knock on his door pulls him out of his happy mindset.

“Come in, Nathalie,” Adrien calls, already dreading the lecture he will surely be receiving as well as a schedule rundown for the week. Better yet, his father may have even found a task for him to do so he can’t spend time with his friends.

“Actually,” a stern voice says as the door gently swings open, “it’s not Nathalie.”

“Father,” Adrien greets, more surprised than anything else. “What’s wrong?”

Gabriel quirks an eyebrow. “Why do you assume something is wrong?”

Adrien breaks their heavy eye contact in favor of finishing up the knot of his shoelace. “Well, usually you only talk to me yourself if there is a problem.”

“That’s nonsense,” Gabriel states passively, his expression going to back to its usual stoic glory. “I’ve come to inquire about your friend… Miss Dupain-Cheng, I believe?”

Adrien stiffens, still not meeting his father’s gaze. “What about her?”

Gabriel removes his glasses to brush them against his tie. “You’ve been seeing a lot of her lately.”

Adrien goes back to tying his shoe. “What of it?”

“Adrien, look at me.”

With pursed lips, Adrien releases his finished knot and meets his father’s steely gaze. “Marinette is a very good friend of mine, and I like spending time with her.”

Gabriel says nothing for a moment, simply eyeing his son’s expression. Finally, slips his glasses back onto his nose and asks, “So much so, that you feel inclined to spend the night in her bed?”

Adrien’s eyes widen marginally. “H-how do you—”

“You’re not very sneaky,” Gabriel cuts him off, a hint of amusement sparking in his eyes (something Adrien notices with both horror and utter confusion). “I would like to see to it that you are being careful, yes?” Heat rapidly rushes to Adrien’s cheeks at his father’s implications. “Father! I-it’s not like that! We just slept! That’s all! Nothing else happened! I haven’t even _kissed_  her!”  _Not on the mouth, anyway._

Silence settles in the air between him, and Adrien swears up and down that Gabriel’s lips twitch upward.

“Yes, well,” he says after a pause, “I would like to see her around here more.”

Adrien’s astonishment increases tenfold, his jaw going slack as he stares at the man in front of him.

Gabriel waves off his expression with a sigh and an eye roll. “Don’t look so surprised, Adrien. After all, I would like to see what she is like so I can better consider taking her in as an intern at Agreste Fashion.”

“Right,” Adrien agrees numbly, snapping his mouth shut.

“Can she come over for dinner tomorrow night?” Gabriel asks, steamrolling over Adrien’s confusion as if his behavior is completely ridiculous. “Her parents, as well. I would like to meet them.”

Adrien’s head begins to spin. Is this real? Is he still asleep on Marinette’s comforter? Who is this man, and what has he done with the real Gabriel Agreste?

“I-I can ask,” Adrien stammers uncertainly.

Gabriel nods, seeming pleased. “Good. And the next time you plan on neglecting to sleep in your own bed, I suggest you let me know right away.”

“Yes, Father,” Adrien manages, his mouth inexplicably dry as he nods.

And with that, Gabriel turns on his heel and leaves without another word on the matter. Adrien stares at the empty space in front of him, still stunned by what has just taken place.

“Seems like Monsieur Iceberg is beginning to melt,” Plagg states, floating up beside Adrien’s head. “Looks like her luck is finally starting to rub off on you."

A wide smile stretches Adrien’s mouth as affection for his partner burns heavily in his chest. “Yeah, I guess so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love when Gabriel is a Cool Person™.
> 
> We are down to the final part of this! But no worries, there is even MORE to come after that! I hope you’re all enjoying this series.
> 
> Feedback is much appreciated!
> 
> Xoxo, J.


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